I know we still have New Year’s but, honestly, a big celebration is not a big deal for me. Ever since Halloween, it’s been Christmas, Christmas, Christmas and while I love Christmas, I desire a quick good-bye. If I had my way today, the tree and ornaments would be wrapped and stored in the attic, the stockings unhung and the lights taken down.

But I don’t get my way. My family outvotes me year in and year out. They favor decorations staying up until New Year’s, sometimes even a week or so into January, which drives me nuts because I find it sad when Santas and snowmen linger into the new year. They’re like beauty queens past their prime.

It’s time to move forward into the New Year.

As cliche as it is, I like to start the New Year with an orderly house. It may never last long–I do have kids, after all–but at least it’s a fresh start.

By contrast, when it comes to putting up the holiday decorations, I’m ready right after Halloween. My husband vetoes early November but come mid-month, we’re decked out for Christmas. We have to be because we often travel over Thanksgiving and my daughter’s birthday is the first day of December, so to minimize stress and maximize enjoyment of Christmas decorations, we’re fa-la-la-ing before turkey day.

I may have to begrudgingly compromise by leaving the decorations up a little longer but, on a very merry note, at least the damn Elf is history.

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28 Responses to When do you take down the holiday decorations?

Kirstensays:

December 26, 2013 at 8:44 am

We are pretty traditional in our Christmas decorating and celebrating. I start getting out the Christmas decorations with the beginning of Advent (the first week of December) and we keep them up until the Epiphany (January 6). The only Santa decorations we have are little ones on our tree, so that part doesn’t bug me, and I do like still having the house all festive looking for New Years

Momof3Boyssays:

December 26, 2013 at 9:28 am

I am a weirdo I think. I only want the decorations up for the month of the holiday. So December 1st Christmas is up and it will be down on January 1st. Same for any other holiday.

Amandasays:

December 26, 2013 at 9:36 am

We put ours up the first weekend in December and take them down the first weekend in January.

Danny's Mommasays:

December 26, 2013 at 10:09 am

I used to take them down on the 12th day of Christmas (January 6th) but ever since I had my son 5 years ago, it’s been whenever the heck I get around to it. My husband wanted to take the tree down today (!!) but I really want to concentrate putting the house back in order first. Our son was spoiled by family this year, so there is a large amount of “stuff” everywhere and nowhere to put it. My kitchen is also a mess because we hosted Christmas this year. I feel as though the house is closing in on me. The tree is the least of my worries this year. I just want the rest of this stuff cleaned first!

That said, I usually have all Christmas stuff down by the first week of January at least. I do leave up “winter” stuff though, such as snowflake window stickies, until about March.

Anna Wsays:

December 26, 2013 at 11:28 am

We have a real tree so it doesn’t always make it, but everything else stays until Epiphany (Jan 6). I don’t start decorating until after Thanksgiving.

Katrinasays:

December 26, 2013 at 11:50 am

May sound Scroog-y but we decorate the day after Thanksgiving and it ALL comes down December 26th! I’v O-V-E-R it by then LOL. I adore the holidays but I am so ready to see it all go by then. Maybe it will change as my kids grow and can protest, but this was how it was when I was growing up so maybe it’s a “how you were raised” thing?

Irishmama7says:

December 26, 2013 at 12:03 pm

Well we dont decorate until (normally) around December 10-15th at the earliest. Then we leave the tree up and such until Jan 15th or so. This Year I am due in early Feb so I want stuff down a bit sooner so that I can prepare for new baby stuff, but even that feels like rushing and a little sad.

Jensays:

December 26, 2013 at 2:30 pm

I would NEVER take my decorations down the day after Christmas!! It’s still the season! With that said, we wait until our tree is on it’s last needles, so end of January. Sometimes it’s February. I am in no rush for Christmas to be over. I enjoy the tree lights in the dark ;). And we don’t decorate until after Thanksgiving.

I enjoy having the calm after all the rushing – now this is my time – everything went well, decorating,shopping for presents and all that wrapping, dinner and church on Christmas eve, dinner with family on Christmas day – now I can have a glass of wine, take a deep breath and enjoy the tree lights without the stress.
What a wonderful holiday! HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Elfriedasays:

December 26, 2013 at 5:05 pm

Up December 1st, down around December 30th. My husband just told me this year (we’ve been married 9 years) that he thinks I’m weird for not wanting any Christmas decorations up before the 1st. I had never even considered that a possibility! Whatever. December is the month for Christmas in our house.

Scotiasays:

December 26, 2013 at 5:39 pm

January 6 is the last day of Christmas. Do people no longer know this?

Carolyn Robertsonsays:

December 26, 2013 at 5:45 pm

The tree was down as of 9am this morning. The rest will come down this weekend.

Lorrainesays:

December 26, 2013 at 6:34 pm

My parents decorate our shared building and they’ve always decorated for Halloween as close to Oct 1st as they could, harvest time decorations are left up (after Halloween) for most of Nov and finally Christmas as close to Dec 1st as possible. Christmas decorations always came down after the Magi arrive in the nativity story. They’re/we’re not the least bit religious, but that’s tradition, so somewhere around Jan 6.

Carasays:

December 26, 2013 at 7:28 pm

Nothing will come down because I never put up anything this year!lol I bought the twins a train set that is supposed to surprise them on Christmas morning while it chug-chug its merry way around the tree. Well the train is there, but the tree never came. Last Christmas the tree was up after the first week of December, the light, the decors, the whole enchilada. This year though, nada. Life is stress free when I live my minimalist way. Next year I’ll decide what to do based on what makes me the most happy when Christmas swings by again.

Jessicasays:

December 26, 2013 at 9:21 pm

In our house, decorations go up on Black Friday and come down New Year’s Day, but with a 1 yr old in the house this year, I was over the decorations way before Christmas even came, so the tree came down Christmas afternoon. Kinda felt like Scrooge doing it, but I just couldn’t stand another week of saying “Stop touching the tree!!” Next year, the tree probably won’t go up until the week of Christmas, since we’ll have a 1 yr old and a 2 yr old in the house.

We leave our up until Christmas is over–January 6. We have a real tree, but since I wait until the week of Christmas to put it up, it’s fine. My ideal would be to put the tree up on the 24th, but Christmas Eve is always so crazy-busy that it goes up a bit earlier.

I took EVERYTHING down today. Normally i just try to get it down before ringing in the new year. Ours goes up the day after Thanksgiving and I was just over it this year. We did just move into a new house though so I’m excited to get everything organized.

Lynnsays:

December 28, 2013 at 7:21 am

I’m OVER it all by 26th and that’s when it all comes down and gets stored away along with a good cleaning of the entire house. It always feels like a fresh and organized way to start the New Year to me.

December 28, 2013
My stuff went up December 6th and it’s now all stored for next year. It takes me 2 days to get it all up and 1 to get it all down inside and outdoors. I think taking it down piecemeal is inefficient. It starts getting on my nerves by the time 12/25 is here. Just too hard to dust and vacuum around. I get tired of going outside to turn it on. What’s the point after Christmas night? It’s a lot of electricity wasted. Besides, I like a clean and clutter free house and yard for th New Year. People that leave it out beyond January 25 th are breaking HOA rules in my neighborhood.

Marysesays:

January 1, 2014 at 3:15 pm

By the third week of November, I put the indoor lights with the plastic silhouettes around the inside of the 2 front windows. I put the tree up in early December, and within 3 or 4 days, the decorations are all put up. On January 2, I put the tree and decorations away. By that time, I am ready to say goodbye to Christmas.

Alansays:

January 4, 2014 at 6:03 pm

traditionally they come down on the 12th day of christmas which is january 5th, it is supposedly unlucky to leave them up past the 5th.

Esthersays:

January 5, 2014 at 4:07 pm

My family is catholic and our tradition is to put up the Christmas lights when the advent starts and put them down the day after Epiphany, January 7th. That makes it very simple for me.

Just-mesays:

January 5, 2014 at 9:01 pm

Although I’ve taken down the outdoor decoration, I’m in no hurry to take down the tree and the nativity. I love the season and I hate when everyone acts like it’s over Christmas night. I guess because we carry Christ in our hearts year-round I like to keep the tree up as long as possible so I will probably take ours down around January 12th. Although I never have done so, some people keep them up until February and I applaud those who have the desire to do so:)

Harry Thompsonsays:

January 7, 2014 at 3:35 am

It is a custom in my household to begin making the house look festive with Christmas decorations after the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Nativity Scene is set up – but the figure of the Infant Jesus is not placed in the crib until after Midnight Mass. The figures of the Magi are placed away from the scene. In order to create a depiction of them on a journey to the see the Christ Child – day by day throughout the Days of Christmas the Magi are moved closer and closer and moved into the Nativity Scene on the Solemnity of the Epiphany. Even though the Church in the U.S. celebrates Epiphany THIS year on January 5th – since we have Italian influence – we observe the celebration of the Holy Day of Epiphany on January 6th as well. We try to put aside a few of the unopened gifts we received on Christmas Day and open them on the Day of Epiphany. We “may” begin taking everything down on the 7th – but liturgically the Season of Christmas ends on the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord – which is celebrated THIS year on January 12th. Our beautiful church is still exquisitely decorated and I know for sure those decorations will NOT come down until the 13th. We may do the same! BLESSINGS!!!

Chiming In...says:

January 13, 2014 at 12:15 pm

As some have described, I am one of the “applauded” few that leaves the tree and decorations up while enjoying christmas music and watching holiday classic films far after the conventional/commercial season has concluded. I do not considerate it clutter in the least. I find it a rather festive, pleasant aesthetic that provides prolonged enjoyment and extends our holidays season/celebration. It might be because Christmas in our household contains none of the hustle and bustle that burns many folks out and causes them to want to rid themselves of it as soon as humanly possible. We tend to not want to let it go so easily and don’t really care what others think though honestly there is no outdoor visible decor present so it is basically our own personal enjoyment indoors.

Marysays:

December 28, 2014 at 4:21 pm

I like to put the lights and 3 silhouettes (candy cane, Angel, and star) around the inside of the 2 front windows by around the 3rd week of November. I put up and decorate the tree by December 1. That is when the other decorations are put up as well. By January 2, I take everything down. By then, the Christmas decorations and tree are past their season.

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